Mark 1:21-28 Jesus Rules and Reigns Over Satan and Demons

The Text

Mark 1:21-28 (CSB) They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.

They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.

The Devotion

Christ taught with authority because he has authority

John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet who preached that Christ had this authority:

John 1:29-34 (CSB) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

The demons are captive to the authority of Christ because Christ is the Sovereign Lord over everything--including demons.

James 2:19 (CSB) You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.

Be confident in God's Word. If the Bible says it, it is as good as gold. It is as good as done.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB) All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

God's words are as sure as the rain that falls from the sky and soaks into the earth:

Isaiah 55:10-11 (CSB)
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow
and food to eat,
so my word that comes from my mouth
will not return to me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

God cannot and will never lie. The promises that he has in the Scriptures are yes and amen.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (CSB) For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.

God cannot sin. Therefore, God cannot lie. Be careful not to tempt your thinking that somehow you having the ability to sin gives you greater power than the Almighty God. The wages of sin is death. Christ gives eternal life. Do you see the difference?

Within that absolute authority, Christ has authority over Satan and demons

^{Mark 1:23}And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

And guess what happened?

²⁶And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.

Satan is not in charge of anything--not the air, not hell, not anything except demons. Christ is charge of everything. When Christ died on the cross, Satan, demons, hell, sin and death were defeated at that moment.

We do not live in a dualistic universe where the forces of good battle against the forces of evil where the forces of good barely win. We live in the kingdom of God where...

One, Christ has victory over Satan and demons

Colossians 2:15 (CSB) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.

The ESV puts it, "puts them to open shame."

Two, Christ has victory over death

Hebrews 2:14-16 (CSB) Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.

Three, Christ has victory over hell

Philippians 2:9-11 (CSB)
For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

And

Revelation 1:17-18 (CSB) When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Lastly, Christ has victory over sin

Hebrews 7:27-28 (CSB) He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.

And

Romans 6:8-11 (CSB) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.